Okay, Yup, That's As Good At It Gets...

[bonehead]

Very satisfying...sure am glad I taped it...

[Mike]

Damn.....a mostly happy ending. I'm glad for that.

[Krisma]

That was a very fine ending...my memory of this series will always be that
last episode.

Post by bonehead
Very satisfying...sure am glad I taped it...

[AnthonyM1975]

Compared to the shit they put out this season and last it was a very
good episode.The chick who plays Claire really needs some acting
lessons though, well she has plenty of time for that now. Kudos for
them making me actually Brenda.

[dejablues]

"AnthonyM1975" <***@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:***@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Kudos for

Post by AnthonyM1975
them making me actually Brenda.

If they made me actually Brenda, I'd be pretty pleased as well.

[AnthonyM1975]

Yikes I meant like Brenda.

[dejablues]

Post by AnthonyM1975
Yikes I meant like Brenda

;-)

[s***@hotmail.com]

The sequence of the death scenes for everyone in this enlarged family
(including Rico - was he still a member of the firm? His name was no
longer on the sign in front but he showed up at Maya's wedding and
perhaps some other events) was a stroke of genius.

It was not altogether original. The Helen Hunt-Paul Reiser sitcom (I
forget its name) had a finale that included a look 20 years into the
future, narrated by all-grown-up baby Mabel (played by Jeaneane
Garafalo). The second Newhart series, about the New England inn, also
had a peek into the future. And Saint Elsewhere had planned such a
finale, looking at the various character years into the future, but a
writers' strike forced them to throw together a slapdash finale with a
different twist.

It was tiny bit like the last few minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, one
of the great great movies of my misspent youth.

Some deaths were poignant and some commonplace, but poor Brenda is
going to keel over in her 90s still having to listen to Billy's
continuing whining about his emotional illnesses. Evidently Claire
dies unmarried, with only a stranger in attendance; the last of her
generation.

We didn't see Bren's mother bite the dust - which I would have placed
in bed, but not alone.

[3finger]

Post by s***@hotmail.com
Some deaths were poignant and some commonplace, but poor Brenda is
going to keel over in her 90s still having to listen to Billy's
continuing whining about his emotional illnesses. Evidently Claire
dies unmarried, with only a stranger in attendance; the last of her
generation.

I guess you missed the scene in the montage where Ted showed up at
Ruth's funeral and later married Claire. So she was probably widowed
when she died at age 102.

[s***@hotmail.com]

Ooops, that was Claire getting married?? I thought it was Maya.

For some reason, all the women died with their maiden names (except
Ruth, who died with the name Fisher instead of Sibley). Moreover,
Willa was born with the surname Chenowith (Fisher was her middle name).

[Fragile Warrior]

Post by 3finger
I guess you missed the scene in the montage where Ted showed up at
Ruth's funeral and later married Claire. So she was probably widowed
when she died at age 102.

When they had him walk up behind David at the cemetery like that, I thought
he was dead. Glad they followed up with the wedding.

[Patricia Butler]

Post by s***@hotmail.com
The sequence of the death scenes for everyone in this enlarged family
(including Rico - was he still a member of the firm? His name was no
longer on the sign in front but he showed up at Maya's wedding and
perhaps some other events) was a stroke of genius

You need to watch this again. Rico was bought out by Keith and David,
then Rico and Vanessa bought their own funeral home.

Post by s***@hotmail.com
It was not altogether original. The Helen Hunt-Paul Reiser sitcom (I
forget its name) had a finale that included a look 20 years into the
future, narrated by all-grown-up baby Mabel (played by Jeaneane
Garafalo). The second Newhart series, about the New England inn, also
had a peek into the future.

In what way did that finale "peek into the future"? Bob wakes up in
bed with Emily, his wife from his first series, and reveals the entire
second series had all been a dream. If anything, it was a peek into
the past. It's also usually acknowledged to be the best series finale
ever (perhaps behind SFU now).

Post by s***@hotmail.com
And Saint Elsewhere had planned such a
finale, looking at the various character years into the future, but a
writers' strike forced them to throw together a slapdash finale with a
different twist.

That "slapdash finale" has been hailed by critics as one of the
greatest series finales of all time.

Post by s***@hotmail.com
It was tiny bit like the last few minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, one
of the great great movies of my misspent youth.
Some deaths were poignant and some commonplace, but poor Brenda is
going to keel over in her 90s still having to listen to Billy's
continuing whining about his emotional illnesses. Evidently Claire
dies unmarried, with only a stranger in attendance; the last of her
generation.

You really need to watch the finale again. Didn't you notice Claire's
wedding to Ted? And wasn't she something like 104 when she died?

[bonehead]

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by s***@hotmail.com
And Saint Elsewhere had planned such a
finale, looking at the various character years into the future, but a
writers' strike forced them to throw together a slapdash finale with a
different twist.

That "slapdash finale" has been hailed by critics as one of the
greatest series finales of all time.

To me the big news here was about the writers' strike, I had never heard
that part before. Although I do remember that the ending was heavily
criticized at the time (especially in TV Guide, which gave it a big
Jeer) and it's still criticized in some quarters today.

I actually find it a little dubious that the writers' strike was the
reason for the show ending the way it did. I thought the whole last
episode of St. Elsewhere was a wonderful tour-de-force, and I find it
hard to believe that the strike somehow made it necessary to tack on a
slapdash epilogue. In fact, I believe I'll go check the copy I have on
VHS tonight and see who got the writing credit. If I'm not mistaken, it
was the series' creators, Joshua Brand and John Falsey, who went on to
create Northern Exposure (in the first episode of which, BTW, Ed
Chigliak tells Dr. Fleischman that St. Elsewhere was his favorite TV
series.)

It's not for nothing that St. Elsewhere was once dubbed "Hill Street
Blues with a bigger heart." With the possible exception of Hill St., it
was quite possibly the most imaginatively written dramatic series ever
on television. To me the driving force of St. Elsewhere was the
imaginations of the writers. To have it turn out that the whole hospital
and all its stories ultimately existed in the imagination of an autistic
little boy, somehow seemed a perfectly appropriate capstone.

Personally I think Six Feet Under really went off the rails in both
Seasons 3 and 4. It started out being about a family-run funeral
business where the father suddenly dies and the remaining family members
all have to pull together and make it work somehow. *That* was a great
premise for a show.

But by Season 3 that premise had been reduced to mere window dressing,
and the show had basically deteriorated into a sleazy soap opera about
everyone's screwed up dysfunctional sex lives, and veering off onto all
sorts of way-off-the-path tangents about peripheral characters.
Eventually the only reason to continue watching it was for pretty much
the same reason that people watch The Osbournes, because it makes us
feel good to be reminded that there are always some people in the world
who are just as fucked up as we are (if not more so.)

Nevertheless, the ending certainly turned out to be one of the most
satisfying endings to any TV show ever. It really made up for a lot. And
there was a lot to make up for.

[Tim Skirvin]

Post by s***@hotmail.com
It was not altogether original.

Babylon 5 comes to mind...

- Tim Skirvin (***@killfile.org)

[!! (Kira Dirlik)]

On 21 Aug 2005 21:54:23 -0700, ***@hotmail.com wrote:

Evidently Claire

Post by s***@hotmail.com
dies unmarried, with only a stranger in attendance; the last of her
generation.

Ah, you too did notice another person at Clare's deathbed. But she
did marry Ted. He came to Ruth's funeral and rekindled the thing with
Clare. They had both aged quite a bit. Then they showed their
wedding.
Kira

[Patricia Butler]

Post by s***@hotmail.com
Evidently Claire

Post by s***@hotmail.com
dies unmarried, with only a stranger in attendance; the last of her
generation.

Ah, you too did notice another person at Clare's deathbed. But she
did marry Ted. He came to Ruth's funeral and rekindled the thing with
Clare. They had both aged quite a bit. Then they showed their
wedding.
Kira

And, for what it's worth, if the person was sitting at Claire's
bedside, it's doubtful they were a stranger.

[b or t k-c]

Post by Patricia Butler
And, for what it's worth, if the person was sitting at Claire's
bedside, it's doubtful they were a stranger.

Actually, if Claire was 102 and [presumably, as a trust-fund baby,
successful photographer and lawyer's widow] well heeled, chances are it was
a nurse or paid companion at her bedside.


...................

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by s***@hotmail.com
Evidently Claire

Post by s***@hotmail.com
dies unmarried, with only a stranger in attendance; the last of her
generation.

Ah, you too did notice another person at Clare's deathbed. But she
did marry Ted. He came to Ruth's funeral and rekindled the thing with
Clare. They had both aged quite a bit. Then they showed their
wedding.
Kira

And, for what it's worth, if the person was sitting at Claire's
bedside, it's doubtful they were a stranger.

[Sparky Spartacus]

Post by b or t k-c

Post by Patricia Butler
And, for what it's worth, if the person was sitting at Claire's
bedside, it's doubtful they were a stranger.

Actually, if Claire was 102 and [presumably, as a trust-fund baby,
successful photographer and lawyer's widow] well heeled, chances are it was
a nurse or paid companion at her bedside.

Actually, Ted was so impressed by Claire's buying the Prius that he
swore off Republican politics, quit his job and went to work pro bono
for Greenpeace, devoting the balance of his life to saving the planet.

Sadly, he was killed when the ship he was on interposed itself between a
Japanese whaler and some whales. Claire made the killer $$$ in that family.

[Patricia Butler]

Post by b or t k-c

Post by Patricia Butler
And, for what it's worth, if the person was sitting at Claire's
bedside, it's doubtful they were a stranger.

Actually, if Claire was 102 and [presumably, as a trust-fund baby,
successful photographer and lawyer's widow] well heeled, chances are it was
a nurse or paid companion at her bedside.

Perhaps, but not a stranger. And I'd hardly call Claire a "trust fund
baby," which always suggests to me millions of dollars. I'm sure her
trust was pretty modest, enough to give her a start, but hardly enough
to make her independently wealthy.

[Sparky Spartacus]

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by b or t k-c

Post by Patricia Butler
And, for what it's worth, if the person was sitting at Claire's
bedside, it's doubtful they were a stranger.

Actually, if Claire was 102 and [presumably, as a trust-fund baby,
successful photographer and lawyer's widow] well heeled, chances are it was
a nurse or paid companion at her bedside.

Perhaps, but not a stranger. And I'd hardly call Claire a "trust fund
baby," which always suggests to me millions of dollars. I'm sure her
trust was pretty modest, enough to give her a start, but hardly enough
to make her independently wealthy.

It was enough to insure her a college education. If that includes
private colleges it could easily be a couple of hundred thousand, plus
whatever it's earned since Nathaniel died (less what Claire spent, of
course). Pretty big nest egg for a 22 year old - means she can look into
anything she wants without worrying about paying the rent.

[s***@hotmail.com]

The official HBO website for 6FU now has the obits for all those
characters - there are some surprises and clarifications!
http://www.hbo.com/sixfeetunder/obituary/episode63.shtml

Apparently Ruth divorced George, as he was described as her companion.
Brenda died at her home, survived by her second husband and her three
(including Maya) children.
Keith was a West Point grad. Claire did not finish college anywhere
but eventually became an instructor at NYU's art school, having become
famous for her photography with old-fashioned film in an age when
everyone else was using digital cameras; she outlived husband Ted
Fairwell but apparently did not have any children.

[Patricia Butler]

Post by Sparky Spartacus

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by b or t k-c

Post by Patricia Butler
And, for what it's worth, if the person was sitting at Claire's
bedside, it's doubtful they were a stranger.

Actually, if Claire was 102 and [presumably, as a trust-fund baby,
successful photographer and lawyer's widow] well heeled, chances are it was
a nurse or paid companion at her bedside.

Perhaps, but not a stranger. And I'd hardly call Claire a "trust fund
baby," which always suggests to me millions of dollars. I'm sure her
trust was pretty modest, enough to give her a start, but hardly enough
to make her independently wealthy.

It was enough to insure her a college education. If that includes
private colleges it could easily be a couple of hundred thousand, plus
whatever it's earned since Nathaniel died (less what Claire spent, of
course). Pretty big nest egg for a 22 year old - means she can look into
anything she wants without worrying about paying the rent.

I don't know where you get "a couple of hundred thousand"?! Or that
whatever was left for her would cover the cost of her entire education
no matter what school she went to. I mean she was going to a local
arts college, not Harvard. And even Harvard only costs about $33,000 a
year.

[notherenow]

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by Sparky Spartacus

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by b or t k-c

Post by Patricia Butler
And, for what it's worth, if the person was sitting at Claire's
bedside, it's doubtful they were a stranger.

Actually, if Claire was 102 and [presumably, as a trust-fund baby,
successful photographer and lawyer's widow] well heeled, chances are it was
a nurse or paid companion at her bedside.

Perhaps, but not a stranger. And I'd hardly call Claire a "trust fund
baby," which always suggests to me millions of dollars. I'm sure her
trust was pretty modest, enough to give her a start, but hardly enough
to make her independently wealthy.

It was enough to insure her a college education. If that includes
private colleges it could easily be a couple of hundred thousand, plus
whatever it's earned since Nathaniel died (less what Claire spent, of
course). Pretty big nest egg for a 22 year old - means she can look into
anything she wants without worrying about paying the rent.

I don't know where you get "a couple of hundred thousand"?! Or that
whatever was left for her would cover the cost of her entire education
no matter what school she went to. I mean she was going to a local
arts college, not Harvard. And even Harvard only costs about $33,000 a
year.

Does that include rent, food, etc? OT... at first glance $33,000/yr for
Harvard sounded reasonable until I remembered that the average annual
income for a family of four is around 25K.

[Tina]

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by Sparky Spartacus

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by b or t k-c

Post by Patricia Butler
And, for what it's worth, if the person was sitting at Claire's
bedside, it's doubtful they were a stranger.

Actually, if Claire was 102 and [presumably, as a trust-fund baby,
successful photographer and lawyer's widow] well heeled, chances are it was
a nurse or paid companion at her bedside.

Perhaps, but not a stranger. And I'd hardly call Claire a "trust fund
baby," which always suggests to me millions of dollars. I'm sure her
trust was pretty modest, enough to give her a start, but hardly enough
to make her independently wealthy.

It was enough to insure her a college education. If that includes
private colleges it could easily be a couple of hundred thousand, plus
whatever it's earned since Nathaniel died (less what Claire spent, of
course). Pretty big nest egg for a 22 year old - means she can look into
anything she wants without worrying about paying the rent.

I don't know where you get "a couple of hundred thousand"?! Or that
whatever was left for her would cover the cost of her entire education
no matter what school she went to. I mean she was going to a local
arts college, not Harvard. And even Harvard only costs about $33,000 a
year.

Harvard is only $33,000 a year?! Geez, my daughter's USC education is
$44,000+ a year...stupid football team. ;)

Tina

[Sparky Spartacus]

Post by Tina

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by Sparky Spartacus

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by b or t k-c

Post by Patricia Butler
And, for what it's worth, if the person was sitting at Claire's
bedside, it's doubtful they were a stranger.

Actually, if Claire was 102 and [presumably, as a trust-fund baby,
successful photographer and lawyer's widow] well heeled, chances are it was
a nurse or paid companion at her bedside.

Perhaps, but not a stranger. And I'd hardly call Claire a "trust fund
baby," which always suggests to me millions of dollars. I'm sure her
trust was pretty modest, enough to give her a start, but hardly enough
to make her independently wealthy.

It was enough to insure her a college education. If that includes
private colleges it could easily be a couple of hundred thousand, plus
whatever it's earned since Nathaniel died (less what Claire spent, of
course). Pretty big nest egg for a 22 year old - means she can look into
anything she wants without worrying about paying the rent.

I don't know where you get "a couple of hundred thousand"?! Or that
whatever was left for her would cover the cost of her entire education
no matter what school she went to. I mean she was going to a local
arts college, not Harvard. And even Harvard only costs about $33,000 a
year.

Harvard is only $33,000 a year?! Geez, my daughter's USC education is
$44,000+ a year...stupid football team. ;)

What do you mean, Harvard has a football team, too!

:)

Sports in the Ivies don't bring in anywhere near as much revenue as
sports programs at places like USC, Big Ten, Notre Dame, etc.

[Tina]

Post by Sparky Spartacus

Post by Tina
Harvard is only $33,000 a year?! Geez, my daughter's USC education is
$44,000+ a year...stupid football team. ;)

What do you mean, Harvard has a football team, too!
:)
Sports in the Ivies don't bring in anywhere near as much revenue as sports
programs at places like USC, Big Ten, Notre Dame, etc.

They DO? <bg>

Tina

[Sparky Spartacus]

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by Sparky Spartacus

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by b or t k-c

Post by Patricia Butler
And, for what it's worth, if the person was sitting at Claire's
bedside, it's doubtful they were a stranger.

Actually, if Claire was 102 and [presumably, as a trust-fund baby,
successful photographer and lawyer's widow] well heeled, chances are it was
a nurse or paid companion at her bedside.

Perhaps, but not a stranger. And I'd hardly call Claire a "trust fund
baby," which always suggests to me millions of dollars. I'm sure her
trust was pretty modest, enough to give her a start, but hardly enough
to make her independently wealthy.

It was enough to insure her a college education. If that includes
private colleges it could easily be a couple of hundred thousand, plus
whatever it's earned since Nathaniel died (less what Claire spent, of
course). Pretty big nest egg for a 22 year old - means she can look into
anything she wants without worrying about paying the rent.

I don't know where you get "a couple of hundred thousand"?! Or that
whatever was left for her would cover the cost of her entire education
no matter what school she went to. I mean she was going to a local
arts college, not Harvard.

Which means her expenses were low, her dad had no idea where she might
want to go. My figure was a WAG, but you need to update your estimates
of what a year at Harvard costs. Here's an example for Yale (they all
cost about the same):

http://www.yale.edu/admit/freshmen/financial_aid/cost.html

Since the actual total cost of attending college varies from student to
student, financial aid eligibility is based on an informed estimate.
This estimate includes the actual costs for tuition and fees ($31,460)
and room and board ($9,540), and an estimate for books and personal
expenses ($2,700). These three figures together make up the estimated
cost of attending Yale for one academic year: $43,700 for the 2005–2006
academic year. An additional amount for travel is included for United
States and Canadian citizens. The amounts for books, travel, and
personal expenses are not direct charges, but are considered as expense
items in order to make the projected budget more realistic. All students
will be charged an additional yearly hospitalization coverage fee of
approximately $1,392, unless it is waived by the Yale Health Plan upon
evidence of valid and sufficient alternative coverage. Additional
charges, not covered in the financial aid estimated cost of attendance,
will be made for such optional or incidental items as extra meals,
telephones, personal services, parking, and individual instruction in
the School of Music.For more detailed information, visit the Yale
Undergraduate Financial Aid homepage.

--------------------------------------------------------

So, it's $43,700 plus $1,392 for medical insurance plus travel. It will
be more next year (it's always more next year). I have heard from
several sources that an Ivy League degree can cost a quarter of a
million dollars these days.

OTOH, maybe Nathaniel was a tightwad and he figured 2 years at a local
(and cheap) community college and Claire's on her own. ;)

[Patricia Butler]

Post by Sparky Spartacus

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by Sparky Spartacus

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by b or t k-c

Post by Patricia Butler
And, for what it's worth, if the person was sitting at Claire's
bedside, it's doubtful they were a stranger.

Actually, if Claire was 102 and [presumably, as a trust-fund baby,
successful photographer and lawyer's widow] well heeled, chances are it was
a nurse or paid companion at her bedside.

Perhaps, but not a stranger. And I'd hardly call Claire a "trust fund
baby," which always suggests to me millions of dollars. I'm sure her
trust was pretty modest, enough to give her a start, but hardly enough
to make her independently wealthy.

It was enough to insure her a college education. If that includes
private colleges it could easily be a couple of hundred thousand, plus
whatever it's earned since Nathaniel died (less what Claire spent, of
course). Pretty big nest egg for a 22 year old - means she can look into
anything she wants without worrying about paying the rent.

I don't know where you get "a couple of hundred thousand"?! Or that
whatever was left for her would cover the cost of her entire education
no matter what school she went to. I mean she was going to a local
arts college, not Harvard.

Which means her expenses were low, her dad had no idea where she might
want to go. My figure was a WAG, but you need to update your estimates
of what a year at Harvard costs. Here's an example for Yale (they all
http://www.yale.edu/admit/freshmen/financial_aid/cost.html
Since the actual total cost of attending college varies from student to
student, financial aid eligibility is based on an informed estimate.
This estimate includes the actual costs for tuition and fees ($31,460)
and room and board ($9,540), and an estimate for books and personal
expenses ($2,700). These three figures together make up the estimated
cost of attending Yale for one academic year: $43,700 for the 2005-2006
academic year. An additional amount for travel is included for United
States and Canadian citizens. The amounts for books, travel, and
personal expenses are not direct charges, but are considered as expense
items in order to make the projected budget more realistic. All students
will be charged an additional yearly hospitalization coverage fee of
approximately $1,392, unless it is waived by the Yale Health Plan upon
evidence of valid and sufficient alternative coverage. Additional
charges, not covered in the financial aid estimated cost of attendance,
will be made for such optional or incidental items as extra meals,
telephones, personal services, parking, and individual instruction in
the School of Music.For more detailed information, visit the Yale
Undergraduate Financial Aid homepage.
--------------------------------------------------------
So, it's $43,700 plus $1,392 for medical insurance plus travel. It will
be more next year (it's always more next year). I have heard from
several sources that an Ivy League degree can cost a quarter of a
million dollars these days.
OTOH, maybe Nathaniel was a tightwad and he figured 2 years at a local
(and cheap) community college and Claire's on her own. ;)

What the bloody hell does any of that have to do with anything? You've
gone from Claire being left some money in trust from her father, to
Claire being left hundreds of thousands of dollars, to Claire being
left enough money that she could go anywhere, do anything, buy
anything. Get a grip! If Late Nate Sr. had that much money, do you
think the business would have faced some of the financial hardships it
did during the show? I'm sure Claire was left a modest sum of money,
in trust, meant to be used toward her education. I seriously doubt it
was a six-figure windfall, and there's certainly nothing to suggest it
was.

[Sparky Spartacus]

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by Sparky Spartacus

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by Sparky Spartacus

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by b or t k-c

Post by Patricia Butler
And, for what it's worth, if the person was sitting at Claire's
bedside, it's doubtful they were a stranger.

Actually, if Claire was 102 and [presumably, as a trust-fund baby,
successful photographer and lawyer's widow] well heeled, chances are it was
a nurse or paid companion at her bedside.

Perhaps, but not a stranger. And I'd hardly call Claire a "trust fund
baby," which always suggests to me millions of dollars. I'm sure her
trust was pretty modest, enough to give her a start, but hardly enough
to make her independently wealthy.

It was enough to insure her a college education. If that includes
private colleges it could easily be a couple of hundred thousand, plus
whatever it's earned since Nathaniel died (less what Claire spent, of
course). Pretty big nest egg for a 22 year old - means she can look into
anything she wants without worrying about paying the rent.

I don't know where you get "a couple of hundred thousand"?! Or that
whatever was left for her would cover the cost of her entire education
no matter what school she went to. I mean she was going to a local
arts college, not Harvard.

Which means her expenses were low, her dad had no idea where she might
want to go. My figure was a WAG, but you need to update your estimates
of what a year at Harvard costs. Here's an example for Yale (they all
http://www.yale.edu/admit/freshmen/financial_aid/cost.html
Since the actual total cost of attending college varies from student to
student, financial aid eligibility is based on an informed estimate.
This estimate includes the actual costs for tuition and fees ($31,460)
and room and board ($9,540), and an estimate for books and personal
expenses ($2,700). These three figures together make up the estimated
cost of attending Yale for one academic year: $43,700 for the 2005-2006
academic year. An additional amount for travel is included for United
States and Canadian citizens. The amounts for books, travel, and
personal expenses are not direct charges, but are considered as expense
items in order to make the projected budget more realistic. All students
will be charged an additional yearly hospitalization coverage fee of
approximately $1,392, unless it is waived by the Yale Health Plan upon
evidence of valid and sufficient alternative coverage. Additional
charges, not covered in the financial aid estimated cost of attendance,
will be made for such optional or incidental items as extra meals,
telephones, personal services, parking, and individual instruction in
the School of Music.For more detailed information, visit the Yale
Undergraduate Financial Aid homepage.
--------------------------------------------------------
So, it's $43,700 plus $1,392 for medical insurance plus travel. It will
be more next year (it's always more next year). I have heard from
several sources that an Ivy League degree can cost a quarter of a
million dollars these days.
OTOH, maybe Nathaniel was a tightwad and he figured 2 years at a local
(and cheap) community college and Claire's on her own. ;)

What the bloody hell does any of that have to do with anything? You've
gone from Claire being left some money in trust from her father, to
Claire being left hundreds of thousands of dollars, to Claire being
left enough money that she could go anywhere, do anything, buy
anything. Get a grip! If Late Nate Sr. had that much money, do you
think the business would have faced some of the financial hardships it
did during the show? I'm sure Claire was left a modest sum of money,
in trust, meant to be used toward her education. I seriously doubt it
was a six-figure windfall, and there's certainly nothing to suggest it
was.

You sound angry. Do you think it's because several people pointed out
how wrong you were about Harvard?

[Patricia Butler]

Post by Sparky Spartacus

Post by Patricia Butler
What the bloody hell does any of that have to do with anything? You've
gone from Claire being left some money in trust from her father, to
Claire being left hundreds of thousands of dollars, to Claire being
left enough money that she could go anywhere, do anything, buy
anything. Get a grip! If Late Nate Sr. had that much money, do you
think the business would have faced some of the financial hardships it
did during the show? I'm sure Claire was left a modest sum of money,
in trust, meant to be used toward her education. I seriously doubt it
was a six-figure windfall, and there's certainly nothing to suggest it
was.

You sound angry. Do you think it's because several people pointed out
how wrong you were about Harvard?

There's a difference between being angry and being frustrated with
someone who's being so picayune as to chase reason right off the board.
When you watch the episode again -- if you can tear yourself away from
the completely irrelevant Yale website -- you'll hear Claire say
something along the lines of, "Go to New York without a job? Are you
nuts?" Hardly the reaction of someone sitting on a huge trust fund.

[s***@hotmail.com]

After this debate, let's all get back to the crucial issue of how many
angels can dance on the head of a pin.

I believe that Claire's trust fund would not have been enough to see
her through old age. The Fisher family had its financial limits, and I
suspect that the trust fund was only sufficient to provide Claire with
college (which, judging from the obit shown on the official HBO
website, she never bothered to finish) or at least help her during her
college years, after which time the money would run out and she'd be
expected to be self-supporting.

I have now seen the finale several times. I realize now that it is
Claire (blonder and with thinning hair) who is at Ruth's deathbed, and
marrying Ted, and at the picnic where David dies.

At that picnic, I had previously thought that either Anthony or Dursel
grew up to look like Keith; I now think that David simply had, at the
moment of his death, a vision or hallucination of the young Keith.

Brenda, according to the HBO website obit, died in her home. The
camera angle of the scene was deliberately arranged, I think, to
conceal the fact that actress Rachel Griffiths was genuinely pregnant
during the filming.

Claire was the last of this crowd to die. Her HBO website obit
indicates she outlived Ted and had no children (maybe a problem -
physical or psych - lingering from her abortion). It would be possible
that, having attained some reknown as a photographer and art teacher
and having lived to 102, she should have had friends of her own at her
bedside, but perhaps it makes more sense not to clutter that scene with
entirely new and unexplained faces; certainly nobody we had seen in
the series could be there.

The wall of her photographs seems to end with a framed picture that we
really cannot see. It seems to me that it might be a hologram of
something, to show that photographic technology had its own changes in
the 80 years since she drove away from her mom.

The morphing or segue from Old Claire's rheumy or cataracted eyes,
seeing their last, back to young Claire's eyes driving across the
country, was particularly affecting.

In a way, that montage showed that, even though the drama series ends,
the characters went on with their lives -- and that everyone changes,
everyone dies, and so forth.

[Patricia Butler]

Post by s***@hotmail.com
After this debate, let's all get back to the crucial issue of how many
angels can dance on the head of a pin.
I believe that Claire's trust fund would not have been enough to see
her through old age. The Fisher family had its financial limits, and I
suspect that the trust fund was only sufficient to provide Claire with
college (which, judging from the obit shown on the official HBO
website, she never bothered to finish) or at least help her during her
college years, after which time the money would run out and she'd be
expected to be self-supporting.
I have now seen the finale several times. I realize now that it is
Claire (blonder and with thinning hair) who is at Ruth's deathbed, and
marrying Ted, and at the picnic where David dies.

It took you several viewings to realize that?

Post by s***@hotmail.com
At that picnic, I had previously thought that either Anthony or Dursel
grew up to look like Keith; I now think that David simply had, at the
moment of his death, a vision or hallucination of the young Keith.

Was there some point when you actually thought that one of the
*adopted* children magically became Keith's identical twin?

Post by s***@hotmail.com
Brenda, according to the HBO website obit, died in her home. The
camera angle of the scene was deliberately arranged, I think, to
conceal the fact that actress Rachel Griffiths was genuinely pregnant
during the filming.

Was the camera angle in this scene ever a topic of conversation?

Post by s***@hotmail.com
Claire was the last of this crowd to die. Her HBO website obit
indicates she outlived Ted and had no children (maybe a problem -
physical or psych - lingering from her abortion).

Aren't people allowed to simply not want to have children?

Post by s***@hotmail.com
It would be possible
that, having attained some reknown as a photographer and art teacher
and having lived to 102, she should have had friends of her own at her
bedside, but perhaps it makes more sense not to clutter that scene with
entirely new and unexplained faces; certainly nobody we had seen in
the series could be there.

When you live to be 102, expect most of your friends to be dead.

Post by s***@hotmail.com
The wall of her photographs seems to end with a framed picture that we
really cannot see. It seems to me that it might be a hologram of
something, to show that photographic technology had its own changes in
the 80 years since she drove away from her mom.

Or it could be the control panel for the heating/cooling system.

Post by s***@hotmail.com
The morphing or segue from Old Claire's rheumy or cataracted eyes,
seeing their last, back to young Claire's eyes driving across the
country, was particularly affecting.
In a way, that montage showed that, even though the drama series ends,
the characters went on with their lives -- and that everyone changes,
everyone dies, and so forth.

Very astute.

[Tina]

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by s***@hotmail.com
Claire was the last of this crowd to die. Her HBO website obit
indicates she outlived Ted and had no children (maybe a problem -
physical or psych - lingering from her abortion).

Aren't people allowed to simply not want to have children?

And wasn't she like 43 at the time Ted showed at the Ruth's funeral? So they
may have married a couple of year later, perhaps parenthood was beyond their
interest by then.

Tina

[FatKat]

Post by Tina

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by s***@hotmail.com
Claire was the last of this crowd to die. Her HBO website obit
indicates she outlived Ted and had no children (maybe a problem -
physical or psych - lingering from her abortion).

Aren't people allowed to simply not want to have children?

And wasn't she like 43 at the time Ted showed at the Ruth's funeral? So they
may have married a couple of year later, perhaps parenthood was beyond their
interest by then.

But knowing Claire, she wouldn't have waited for marriage if she was
really interested in having children. Claire is hardly that
conventional. Still I am surprised that she had no kids considering
that tearful hug-fest with Ruth. It seemed natural to me that, having
found a new well of respect for her mother (one that she was ready to
sacrifice going out on her own for) she'd also incur a desire to become
a mother herself.

[Patricia Butler]

Post by FatKat

Post by Tina

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by s***@hotmail.com
Claire was the last of this crowd to die. Her HBO website obit
indicates she outlived Ted and had no children (maybe a problem -
physical or psych - lingering from her abortion).

Aren't people allowed to simply not want to have children?

And wasn't she like 43 at the time Ted showed at the Ruth's funeral? So they
may have married a couple of year later, perhaps parenthood was beyond their
interest by then.

But knowing Claire, she wouldn't have waited for marriage if she was
really interested in having children. Claire is hardly that
conventional. Still I am surprised that she had no kids considering
that tearful hug-fest with Ruth. It seemed natural to me that, having
found a new well of respect for her mother (one that she was ready to
sacrifice going out on her own for) she'd also incur a desire to become
a mother herself.

I've got respect up the yin-yang for people like Ghandi and Mother
Theresa, but it doesn't mean I want to do what they do. Same goes for
any job, including motherhood. You can love your mother, respect your
mother, admire the hell out of your mother, but still not want to be a
mother yourself.

[notherenow]

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by FatKat

Post by Tina

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by s***@hotmail.com
Claire was the last of this crowd to die. Her HBO website obit
indicates she outlived Ted and had no children (maybe a problem -
physical or psych - lingering from her abortion).

Aren't people allowed to simply not want to have children?

And wasn't she like 43 at the time Ted showed at the Ruth's funeral? So they
may have married a couple of year later, perhaps parenthood was beyond their
interest by then.

But knowing Claire, she wouldn't have waited for marriage if she was
really interested in having children. Claire is hardly that
conventional. Still I am surprised that she had no kids considering
that tearful hug-fest with Ruth. It seemed natural to me that, having
found a new well of respect for her mother (one that she was ready to
sacrifice going out on her own for) she'd also incur a desire to become
a mother herself.

I've got respect up the yin-yang for people like Ghandi and Mother
Theresa, but it doesn't mean I want to do what they do. Same goes for
any job, including motherhood. You can love your mother, respect your
mother, admire the hell out of your mother, but still not want to be a
mother yourself.

That's right. Respect does not automatically connote desire to emulate.
Claire re-claimed her love for her mother. A natural ordinary love an
adult child feels for her parent. That's distinctly different from
wanting children of her own. I love my parents dearly but I've never
had any inkling of a desire to be a parent myself.

[*muffin*]

Post by Patricia Butler

Post by s***@hotmail.com
The wall of her photographs seems to end with a framed picture that we
really cannot see. It seems to me that it might be a hologram of
something, to show that photographic technology had its own changes in
the 80 years since she drove away from her mom.

Or it could be the control panel for the heating/cooling system.

no its a picture. if you concentrate on it, it looks like a building in the
background, window on the left & a figure standing in the foreground.
someone suggested it may some kind of "future" photo frame (although it was
also suggested something like this already exists).
remember she lived a LONG time, and maybe tried out diff kinds of
photography & had one picture that really attracted her to put on her wall.
I am also surprised the ONLY pictures on her wall are of scenes that we have
seen (especially in the last montage), I would have figured they would have
had photos from other events & maybe Ted older, or her nieces older etc. (to
go with the theme of time passing)

[s***@hotmail.com]

I hadn't done the math on how old Claire would be at her wedding. And
I'm really sorry that I was so slow on the uptake about who was who in
the various scenes. And, yes, I am very obtuse. Heck, I was even
surprised when the ship went down in TITANIC.

But the camera angle in Brenda's death scene really was raised in
another thread on this forum.

[notherenow]

Post by s***@hotmail.com
I hadn't done the math on how old Claire would be at her wedding. And
I'm really sorry that I was so slow on the uptake about who was who in
the various scenes. And, yes, I am very obtuse. Heck, I was even
surprised when the ship went down in TITANIC.
But the camera angle in Brenda's death scene really was raised in
another thread on this forum.

You're right. Brenda's condition was and appears to still be grist for
discussion on this group. Claire's age when she married Ted is also a
continuing discussion. You do not need to apologize for your comments.
Yours was a well written, meaningful post and there is no argument with
your interpretations.

[bonehead]

Post by AnthonyM1975
Compared to the shit they put out this season and last it was a very
good episode.[snip]

As much of a fan of the show as I've been, I'm afraid I have to agree
with this sentiment. Personally I think the show really went off the
rails in both Seasons 3 and 4. It started out being about a family-run
funeral business where the father suddenly dies and the remaining family
members all have to pull together and make it work somehow. *That* was a
great premise for a show.

But by Season 3 that premise had been reduced to mere window dressing,
and the show had basically deteriorated into a sleazy soap opera about
everyone's screwed up dysfunctional sex lives, and veered off onto all
sorts of way-off-the-path tangents about peripheral characters.
Eventually the only reason to continue watching it was for pretty much
the same reason that people watch The Osbournes, because it makes us
feel good to be reminded that there are always some people in the world
who are just as fucked up as we are (if not more so.)

Nevertheless, the ending certainly turned out to be one of the most
satisfying endings to any TV show ever. It really made up for a lot. And
there's a lot to make up for.